The Young Fellowship Society
by Faithful the Cat
Summary: When the Ring goes missing, the Young Fellowship Society are there to set things right. Follow Fray, Ellen, and Bailey as they battle ruffians, Mary Sues, and OOC Hogwarts students all while trying to maintain their sanity.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: WTF?!**

Who, or what are the YFS?

They are the "busters" to your ghost. The Abe to your Hellboy, the Daniel to your Stargate SG-1, the Jedi to your Rebel Alliance, and the nonexistent egg that makes up your nonexistent breakfast every morning, you strawberry-Nutri-grain bar-and-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-Metro eater!

Ahem, anyway, they were the CIA, FBI, NSA, MI6, JAG, CSI, NCIS, KGB…well, you get the idea.

FRAY BARNS, the technical support advisor (a.k.a. Q)

ELLEN HANELS, the medical advisor and healer (a.k.a. Dr. House)

BAILEY O'GANS, the weaponry and diversionary tactics advisor (a.k.a. Rambo)

And their fearless leader, MITHRANDIR, the Gene Crantz to their Apollo 13, The Yoda to their Jedi, the M to their James Bond, and the Captain Nemo to their League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

They are the defenders of the mundane, the shields of innocence, protecting every person from evil megalomaniacs wielding highly dangerous magical objects of unknown capacity and power to make sure that your boring lives stay boring.

In other words, they were the One Ring's clean-up crew.


	2. Chapter 1: Nighttime Visitors

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

Fray rolled over on her stomach and stuffed the pillow over her head. A few seconds later a hand poked out and groped for a black stuffed cat, pulling it under the pillow. There were another three knocks and the doorbell. The pillow tightened over the woman's head. The final set of knocks nearly shoved the door off its hinges. The pillow flew at least two feet into the air and fell with a plop onto the floor as Fray sat up.

"I'M UP!" she yelled, staggering to the door. She threw it open and glared with half open eyes at the gray wizard on her doorstep.

"Look," she said groggily, "when it's dark, people do something I like to call SLEEP!" She glared again.

"Good morning to you too, Fray."

"You sicken me."

"Why thank you, Fray, I would love to come in."

Fray moved away from the door.

"Why don't you make tea?" suggested the wizard and the young Hispanic shuffled down the hall, turning into her kitchen. Gandalf the wizard, known as "Mith" since the Young Fellowship Society was far to lazy to call him anything longer, lowered himself into one of Fray's chairs. Fray set down a mug of tea and slumped into a chair with another mug.

"What is it this time?"

"The Ring has been taken," he said mildly.

"Not again, Mith!"

"Yes, it is Middle Earth and we need you to find it," said Mith. Fray slumped back in her chair, mumbling.

"Can't you hold onto that thing longer than a week?"

"You already know the answer to that question."

"Any more of this and I'm duct taping it to his hand."

"When will you be back?" asked Mith.

"I don't know, it depends on how many portals we pass though. And there could be complications." She looked suspiciously at him. "Why? Gonna be late for a candle-lit dinner with Nienna?" Mith blushed slightly. Fray sighed turned away. "I'll be back in a few minuets."

In her bedroom, Fray got dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. She pulled out a pack from a corner where it had been hastily thrown and drew out a small, leather pouch. She checked the pouch and crossed the room to a purple Gro-light. She inspected a small batch of leafy plants before cutting some off and stuffing it into the pouch. Fray returned to the kitchen and took out some cloth-wrapped cakes from a wooden box. She pulled out a slightly bigger leather pouch and shoved the cakes into it. Setting the pack on the ground, Fray grabbed a leather belt that had what looked like a small sword dangling from it. She reached into the pack again for a flashlight.

"Be careful, Fray," said Mith.

"Yeah, yeah, I know 'we're hard to replace.' See you later Mith." Fray left her house, locking the door behind her.

Fray turned and ran down the deserted Oxford street. She was young, twenty-three, with long brown hair, glasses, and a secret life that was shared only with two other people.

Fray was part of "The Young Fellowship Society," an organization commissioned by Mith to retrieve dangerous magical items that had fallen into the wrong dimension. This was their job; to hop dimensions whenever a summons came and recover whatever item, usually the Ring, had fallen into the wrong world. They were also "half alter egos." This meant that whenever they switched worlds, another person moved into their subconscious temporarily to give council, provide protection, whatever.

Not that this was always helpful, being a half alter ego and joining minds, made them susceptible to being forcefully and painfully separated or to "episodes." An episode was where the alter ego took complete possession of their bodies. This only happened whenever the alter-ego felt threatened enough to have the need to take possession. This took a severe toll on the YFS, resulting in extreme dehydration and exhaustion.

But ignoring these minor setbacks, it really wasn't a bad job…or not. The alter egos could be rude and sarcastic, which made working with them more trouble then they were worth. Fray had gotten lucky; Frodo Baggins was usually civil, unless he was having a very bad day. Unlike Ellen, whose alter ego, Elrond, sometimes liked to make fun of her humanity or Bailey, who was always being teased about her hair by Boromir. Around fifteen minuets later, she stopped in front of a small house on the Oxford College campus. Fray crossed to the backyard and peeked in through an open window. A woman was sprawled on a bed, fast asleep.

"Wake up, hobbits! It's a beautiful morning!" Fray shouted. The woman sat up and shook her head. Fray ducked under the windowsill. The woman crossed to the window and looked out, blearily. Fray had to hold a hand to her mouth to stop herself from snickering. The woman left the window and Fray heard the groaning of the bedsprings. Fray skipped to the front door and rang the bell. The door opened. Another woman wearing a red nightshirt that said Star Trek appeared.

"What do you want?" she muttered.

"Morning Lauren!" Fray said, "Can I get Ellen?"

"It's 3:00 a.m.," she grumbled.

"Actually," said Fray, checking her watch, "it's 3:30am. And why does this still surprise you?"

"Whatever," Lauren held up a doll, "Spock says go away." She shook it at Fray.

"I would break into a rousing chorus of 'The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins,'" answered Fray avoiding a clout by the plushie, "but it's too early. Just let me talk to Ellen." Lauren moved away, grumbling and Fray entered. She came to a closed door with a sign that said: "Ellen's Room: Keep Out" underneath that was another smaller sign: "This means you, Mith." And still underneath that was an even smaller sign: "I swear! I'll sic Elrond on you!" Fray snickered and opened the door. Ellen's threat was harmless, just because she shared her subconscious with the Elf-lord, it was not like he couldn't make his own decisions. In other words, Ellen could not "sic" Elrond on anyone without suffering his patented Noldorian Death-Glare. Fray entered the room. Same as before, Ellen lay on the bed. Fray crossed to her Filipino friend's bed and wrenched the covers off her. Ellen shivered, groped for the sheets, and sat up.

"Whaa…" she yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Get up," Fray said, "we've got to go." She threw a shirt at her.

"What happened," she asked, pulling the shirt off her face.

"Mith came, he says they lost it." Fray began to throw some things into Ellen's pack on the floor. She looked up to see Ellen lying on the bed again.

Fray sighed, muttering a few choice words in Sindarin. There was a long pause.

"SPIDER!" Ellen jumped four feet into the air, looking around wildly. Fray doubled up in laughter.

"Shut it!" growled the Brit. Fray left the room, still laughing, to confront a very disgruntled Lauren. Ellen got dressed and crept into the bathroom with her sheathed sword. Fray's footsteps came and stopped a few feet in front of her.

"Ellen?" she called, "Ellen, where are you?" Ellen leapt from her hiding place.

"NAZGUL!"

Fray screamed and cowered on the floor. After a few seconds, she looked up at Ellen, who was standing above her.

"Now we're even, huh?"

"Screw you."

Several minuets later, Fray and Ellen were finally kicked out by a sleepy Lauren…literally. They ran down the street and out of the campus of Oxford, heading towards Bailey's apartment.

"Do you think she's awake?"

"No."

The two women entered the main building of the apartment complex and went up the stairs to the second level. The stopped in front of Room #26 and knocked. There was no answer. Ellen dug into her bag for the spare key and unlocked it. They entered the small, three room apartment and went through a door on the right. This room was obviously Bailey's bedroom. She lay on the other side of the room, fast asleep. Fray and Ellen approached her quietly.

"Bailey," Fray called, softly. Bailey just twitched and muttered something about Chasers. Ellen nudged her.

"Why is all the rum gone?" came the reply. Fray doubled over in silent giggles and Ellen stuffed her fist into her mouth, stifling the giggles that escaped her. She grabbed water spritzer that lay on the bedside table with her free hand and squirted it twice in Bailey's face. Bailey stirred, wiped her face, and opened her eyes. She stared blearily up at the two women in front of her and shut her eyes again. Fray and Ellen looked at each other.

"What?" asked Bailey, covering her face with her hands.

"Wake up. We have to go find the Ring." Boromir's half alter ego groaned.

"Mith can go find his own damned Ring."

"I guess he can, but that's not the point. Come on. Let's go."

A quarter of an hour later, all three were jogging down the silent street, their swords slapping against their legs. They were an odd looking group, with their jeans, grey cloaks, swords, and a longbow. Soon they reached their destination, an empty space at the end of the street where two trees stood next to each other. Fray set her pack on the ground and pulled out a small remote. She pressed a button. Both trees began to light up, one silver and one gold. Between them, was the view of a lush, green forest. One by one, the YFS stepped through.


End file.
